Gas price sign



June 4, 1935 E. E. JOHNSTON 2,003,542

GAS PRICE SIGN Filed Jan. 17, 1934 INVENTOR Eugenemohnson,

Patented June 4, 1935 v n Y Y UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE 2.1103542 v ons PRICE SIGN Eugene E. Johnston, Buffalo, N. Y. Application January rz, 1934, serial No. '701,033

7 claims. (C1. 40-64) This invention relates to signs Vand it hasV marginal portion of the back is bent to form an particular relation to a tag or card displaying upwardly extending flange 24 and to provide a sign suitable for displaying changeable price tags groove-like recess 25 extending across the lower for gasoline, or the like. n marginal portion of the back.V l

One object of the invention is to provide a mul-Y 'Ihe cover I2 conforms in shape substantially 5 tiple part sign which can 'be manually assembled to the shape of the back and is provided with and disassembled without the `use of tools and rearwardly extending' vertical side flanges 2.6 is eiiiciently protected from various climatic con which are spaced'a distance slightly greater than dimens in its assembled relation, the distance between the flanges 22 of the back.

10 Another object of the invention is to provide Guide'strips 21 are secured along the inner sur- 10 a sign for receiving a pluralityof price tags or faces of the flanges 2B and provide therewith cards and in which a simple one-piece orgunitary rearwardly opening vguide recesses 28 for receivmember is designed to receive various kinds of ing the forwardly extending Ilanges 22 of the price cards. back. These guide strips are also bent to form Anotherobject of the invention is to provide opposed grooves or guides 29 ior slidably receiv- 15 a multiple part sign in which improved strucing opposite edges of the panel I4.. An inner ture an'd assembling elements are provided to flange 30 defining one side of each guide 29 also facilitate convenient and efdcient functioning serves as a guide for a glass window 3l provided 0f the Sign, 4 in the iront portion of the cover.4 Rearwardly In the drawing: projecting llanges'32 dening an opening V33 be- 20 Fig. 1 is a perspective of the improved sign hind which the glass is mounted cooperate with Structure; the llangesll to maintain the glass firmly in Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of a card holding the cover. panel constituting a part of the sign; Marginal flange 34 extends rearwardly from Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken substantially the lower portion of the cover and is further pro- 25 along the line III- III of 1; vided with a downwardly projecting narrower Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross section, on .a llange 35 which'is substantially ush with the larger scale, taken substantially along the line rear edges of the side ilanges 26.

IV-IV of Fig. 1, and As best shown in Fig.. 2, the panel i4 is pro- Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section taken vided with relatively narrow flanges 3B along its 30 substantially along the line V-V of Fig. 3. four edges and the body portion of the panel is An' illustrative form 0f the invention is exstamped out to form adjacent one edge thereof emplilied in a sign Ill which includes as its prinllllwldly .eXtendng Card holding flanges 31 each cple parts a supporting back llo awlndowedeoyer of which 1s bent rearwardly to Yform a lower card 35 I2 and a one piece stamped panel I 4. Forpur- Supporting hOIiZOntal lodge 33 and 1511911 UlJWaI'd- 35" poses of convenience the supporting back is reclY t0 OI'm a Support for the back of cards 39. tangular in shape and is provided with suitable The UPPST 'edge 0f each 0f Chose anges hasra fastening members I6 that secure the back to a, rearwardly bent portion 4B to facilitate insertion suitable support I1 which Amay be in the form of cards which are visible through openings 42 40 of a wall or post, or a part of a gasoline disformed by the stamping operation and located 40' Deming apparatus, The upper perm 0f the directly behind the glass of the cover.

back is provided with a rigidly mounted forward- A SeCOIld SeleS 0f flanges 43 are Stamped from ly .extending inverted trougl1llke Structure la an intermediate'portion ofthe panel I4 and are which comprises .a forwardly extending ilange aligned with respective flanges 31 of the rst I9 and `downwardly extending front `and end series. These llanges 43 are also formed with 45 flanges 2U. This trough-like structure extends lower card supporting ledges 44 and rearwardly entirely across .the upper portion of the baci; bent upper edges 45 and are adapted to receive and slightly beyond the yopposite edges thereof numeral cards 46 for indicating the price cf the to provide spaces 21 between the end flanges 2D substance to besold, the amount of tax thereon,

50 and upper portions `of relatively narrow side and the total. 50 flanges 22 that are bent forwardly from the back Adjacent the marginal portion of the panel I4 and extend vertically along the opposite edges opposite the tlanges .31, additional card holding of the back from the top to locations adjacent flanges 41 are stamped out to form verticalflange the lower edge thereof where each is out away for abutments 48 and rearwardly turned vertical a short dimmed as indicated at 23. The lower edge portions 49 for retaining cards 50 which 55 abut along one edge against the abutments 48 and are visible through an opening 52 from which the flanges are stamped. A finger 53 which is formed by the stamping operation projects partially over the opening 52 at a location substantially midway between the flanges 4l and cooperates with the latter to maintain the cards in proper position. It will be observed that the body portions of the various stamped out card holding Vanges are spaced rearwardly from the front face cf the panel and that the' marginal ilanges 36 provide sufficient space to accommodate several thicknesses of cards without interfering with the proper sliding of the panel in the guides 29. A flange or angle member 55 is disposed horizontally immediately below the lower card holder 4l for properly gauging the position of the card or cards displayed at this location. Various data concerning the prices of goods tor be sold can be applied to the cards. Y 1

In assembling the sign, price cards having the desired data thereon are arranged in the panel I4, e. g., in the manner shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and then the panel is slidably inserted in the guides 29 of the cover, the lower portion of the panel then resting upon the lower cover flange 34. Then the cover l2 with the panel therein is placed against the back in suchV manner that intermediate portions of the forwardly extending flanges 22 are partially inserted in the guides 28 and the cover is then'moved upwardly. In this movementthe upper portion of the coveris guided into the trough-like structure I8 until the lower cover flange 35 passes the upper edge of the upwardly extending lower back flange 24 and the flange 35 can then be snapped or dropped into the recess formed by the flange. It will be observed that the width of the flanges 20 is greater than the width of,Y the lower back flange 24, and hence, when the weight of the cover is carried by the flange 35m the recess 25, the upper portion of the cover maintained extending into the trough-like structure. The flanges 22 and flanges of the structure I8, prevent any material movement of the cover in all directions except upwardly, movement in the latter direction being resorted to only when it is desired to remove the flange 35 from the guide 25 in disassembling the sign. These flanges also protect the interior of the sign from rain or other adverse weather conditions. Preferably the back Il, cover l2, and panel I4 are composed of thin sheet metal which can be stamped and shaped into the proper shape, as described.

Although only one form of the invention has been shown and describedin detail it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not so limited, but that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A sign structure comprising a supporting back, a front cover demountably carried by the supporting back and co-'operating therewith to form a container, said back having an inverted trough-like upper portion and having an upwardly turned lower flange to form a recess, upright guide members formed along opposite edge portions of the back, rearwardly turned side flanges on the cover, a guide strip secured to each rearwardly turned flange, said guide strips and rearwardly turned flanges having spaced portions to form cover guides for receiving said upright guide members of the back, .said guide strips being formed to provide opposed panel guides facing at angles to the cover guides, portions of the guide strips forming guides with the front portion of the cover to receive a transparent window section, and a unitary price tag supporting panel slidably mounted in the panel guides.

2. A sign structure comprising a supporting back, a front cover demountably carried by the supporting back, saidV back having an inverted trough-like upper portion and having an upwardly turned lower flange to form a recess, guide members formed on the back and cover for guiding the upper portion of the cover into the troughlike portion of the back, said cover having a lower portion movable upwardly beyond the upper edge Vof said upwardly turned lower flange and normally supported in said recess behind the flange, and a unitary price tag supporting panel slidably mounted in the cover, said trough-like portion overhanging the entire upper portion of the cover and back to protect the space between the back and cover from ingress of foreign matter.

3. A sign structure comprising a supporting back, a front cover demountably carried by the supporting back, said back having an inverted trough-likegupper portion and having an upwardly turned lower flange to form a recess, overlapping guide members formed along opposite side edges of the back and cover for guiding the upper `portion of the cover into the trough-like portion of the back, the lower portion of the cover being movable upwardly beyond the upper edge ofv said upwardly Vturned lower ilange and normally supported in said recess behind the flange, said back and cover Vforming an inclosed space between them, a panel having portions stamped out to provide price tag supporting flanges, and means for slidably supporting the panel in the cover.

4. In a sign structure, a sheet of material having flanges stamped from the intermediate body portion thereof, the portion of the material from which the ilanges are stamped defining windowlike openings, said flanges facing the openings, each of said flanges being formed with bent portions providing a substantially horizontal support along one side of the adjacent opening, each flangev having an outwardly turned guiding portion for guiding a card into position to be exposed through an opening, a card mounted upon the horizontal support of each flange and facing the adjacent window opening for exposure therethrough, `each flange normally bearing yieldably against the respective card to hold the latter in place, said sheet of material having outer flanged edges providing an overall depth of structure greater than the thickness represented by the distance from the back of the ilanges to the body of the sheet material.

5. In a sign structure, a sheet of resilient metal having flanges stamped from the intermediate body portion thereof, the body portion of the metal sheet from which the flanges are stamped defining window-like openings, a plurality of cards of greater area than the respective openings facing the latter for exposure therethrough, each of said flangeshaving a portion for supporting a card in registering relation with an adjacent opening, said ilanges being resilient and normally yieldably bearing against the cards to hold them securely against the metal surrounding the openings, said sheet of metal having flanged edges to provide an overall depth suflcient to encompass the flanges and cards.

6. In a sign structure, a sheet of material having a plurality of Window-like openings formed therein, anges formed integrally with the sheet of material registering with said openings in eifset relation to one surface of the sheet of material, a plurality of removable and interchangeable price tag elements registering With the openings and supported by the flanges against said one surface of the sheet of material for exposure through said openings, and flange portions formed along the edges of the sheet of material to provide an overall depth of sign structure suicient to encompass the tag elements and flange supports therefor.

'7. In a price sign, a casing structure, a sheet of material having a plurality of Window-like openings formed therein, flanges formed integrally with the sheet of material registering with said openings in offset relation to one surfacev of the sheet of material, a plurality of removable and in'- terchangeable price tag elements registering with said openings and supported by the flanges against said one surface of the sheet of material for exposure through said openings, ange portions formed along the edges of the sheet of material to provide an overall depth of structure suiiicient to encompass the tag elements' and iiange supports therefor, and means for removably supporting the sheet of material with its tag elements in the casing structure.

EUGENE E. JOHNSTON. 

